WATERVILLE — Thomas College students are hosting the school’s Lunder School of Education Poetry and Prose Writing Contest for area middle school and high school students this month.

The contest is open to students in grades 5 through 12 with four categories: 5th-6th, 7th-8th, 9th-10th, and 11th-12th. The top prize for each category is $100, and second place is $25. Both prose and poetry is accepted with a maximum of 10 pages for prose and three pages for poetry.

This contest is being organized by Thomas College Education professor Dr. Katie Rybakova’s 21st Century’s Literature class, according to a news release from the college.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for 5th-12th graders in Maine — they have the possibility of earning some money, but more importantly, they get a chance to get real feedback from college students at Thomas regardless of whether or not they win an award,” said Rybakova.

Two student organizers, Kathryn Nightingale and Kate Richards, are among Thomas College students putting together this contest.

“As a preservice teacher, I am excited to have the opportunity engage with 5th-12th graders across the state as I have helped plan the writing contest and will review the entries,” said Nightingale.

“This contest is a great way to let students share their creative ideas and show off their talents while getting feedback from Thomas College students. This will help us build connections throughout the education community,” said Richards.

Submissions are due by Wednesday, March 30, and can be submitted online at thomas.edu.

For more information, email [email protected].